Previews

Final Fantasy X-2

When the first hints of a direct sequel to Final Fantasy X appeared in the form of a promotional video packaged with the game's re-release in Japan, few were ready to believe it -- despite all of the evidence. Skepticism is a weak word for the reaction of many gamers; scorn might be closer to the truth. Well, now that I've held it in my hands and played it for several hours, I'm perfectly happy to inform you that it's very real. There's a bit of a problem, though -- well, the game's just peachy. But it's become quickly apparent -- just check some forum threads if you don't believe me -- that Final Fantasy X-2 isn't exactly the sequel some were hoping for or expecting.

This Fantasy's not Final

Let's qualify that statement. I loved FFX. It's my favorite game in the series since 1991's FFIV, and the idea of a direct sequel to it was something I hung a lot of my hopes on. But to say that FFX-2 is not exactly the game you might expect is an obvious understatement. More than a new adventure of the same caliber and emotional tenor, FFX-2 almost feels like a vacation in Spira. There's certainly a pervading and supporting underlying emotional resonance provided by revisiting the original's locales and seeing Yuna and pals again, but there's also a laidback, party-like atmosphere. It's a bit like watching the second season of a TV show you never thought would be renewed, and the creators didn't really either.

The game kicks off with a pop concert in Luca's Blitzball stadium, with a singer that is apparently Yuna bringing down the house with her high-energy performance. It's quickly revealed, thanks to Rikku and newcomer Paine, though, that this isn't the Yuna we know and love -- it's an impostor, LeBlanc, who has stolen the trio's "Result Plate," an important artifact. The trio of Yuna, Rikku, and Paine -- a.k.a. YuRiPa -- are out to search for spheres. Just like in FFX, they contain recordings of important events -- although they also offer the purpose of new "dress sphere" job classes, of which more later.

The sphere-recorded event that touches off Yuna's journey two years after the defeat of Sin is what appears to be Tidus, trapped in a cage, pleading with his captors. YuRiPa, along with Rikku's brother and some helpful others, embark on a new airship, the Celsius, and seek out spheres as "sphere hunters." Their name? Kamome-Dan, or Team Seagull. As Team Seagull, you'll fly to different locales in the world of Spira and hunt for spheres.

InSpiraTional

This boils down to basically the usual sort of gameplay you'd expect from an RPG -- traversing dungeons and fighting battles, with cool cutscenes as your reward. The first dungeon is all-new material, to get you in the mood, and incredibly gorgeous. The ethereal ruins atop Mt. Gagazet are where you'll face off against LeBlanc's crew for a sphere. Most of your missions, as sphere hunters, revolve around just that: retrieving lost spheres -- except that later missions, for the most part, either retread existing environments from FFX or feature new ones that are kind of on the budget side.

After you complete the Gagazet gig, you'll have total control over your destiny, and I mean total. The entire world of Spira is open to you; you can go to just about every locale that appeared in the original, from Bevelle to Zanarkand. For the most part, they haven't changed much. Although you can choose to go wherever you wish, "active links" contain the missions necessary to advance the plot. Your first stop in that regard is Besaid Village, where you'll visit with FFX mainstays Lulu and Wakka.

Sphere hunting -- the goal.

There's a dungeon grafted onto this environment, which is otherwise pretty much unchanged from its original look, and it's an incongruously simple affair of twisting corridors compared to the lush, organic beauty of the original Besaid environment. The division between new and old content becomes painfully obvious here, and it continues even more obviously in the next mandatory mission, where you'll finally get to see what's down those stairs behind Yunalesca's room in Zanarkand -- a boring maze. No wonder the original game didn't let you go down 'em!